Hoop-making machine



Sept. 27 1927.

. 1,643,487 v E. CRAIG HOOP MAKING MACHINE Fil ed Jan. 12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5- Sheets-Sheet 2 0 m W 3 Q 9 Z 4 Z Z 6 7 3 3 W- m H m o o W a 3 MN. n w w w 6 5 a 0 4% m w 1 5/ /m g 2: mm Pllalu Q 5 n w 4 l W u n 1-}--- h Wu 6H im ii. l l I I I I 1 I I I I I I l filurfi I IIIH-I. ..1:J m p m w w m u x 2 u 0 w u i 7 O o ..r, r..

Sept 1927 E. CRAIG HOOP MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1924 septi. 2.1, 1927. 1,643,487

E. CRAIG HOOP MAKING momma] Filed Jan.'12,- 9 2 5 Sheets-Sheet s Sept. 27,1921. v 1,643,487

E. CRAIG uooP MAKING MACHINE Filed Jam-1%, 1'924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 -Sept. 27,1927

1,643,487 E. CRAIG HOOP MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

1,643,4&7

P FV -Z EDWARD CRAIG, OF. ST, JOSEPI I, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNQR TO SABANAC AUTOMATIC MACHINE 'COBPQB;ATION,' OF BENTON HABBQR MIQHIQAN, A CORIEQRATION OF DELAWAREQ HOOP-MAKING; emmas An mat on l d January awless ee n p lms- My invention relates to machines for. making hoops forhaskets or other. receptacles, or for, any, other, suitable purpose.

' Generally stated, the object of theinvention is to provide a novel and comparatively simple machine. which canobe operatedwith certainty and with comparatively high-speed toproducehoops made from strips having their ends fastened together, the machine having means to receiveone end of a hoop strip, and then bend the, strip. into h Qp' accompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a hoop making nachine embodying the principles of the inven i i i Y Fig. Qis a perspective of one of thehoops made on said machine. 1

Fig. 3' is ,a side elevation of said machine.

4 is a deta ec ion n'" n in F g-' large vsca igfi 5isa e alrs c io 1 1 16.57 in ig: 1L. c i i Fig, 6 is a horizontal section, o n alarge scale, on line 6 6 111 Fig. 1,'

is" adetail; sectional View of the clutch mechanism for controllingthe opera tionof the machine. v V

Fig 8 is an enlarged vertical section on line88 in Fig, 3. a

' Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section on l ne 9+9. n. gi ig- 10 s. n' i ar ed tical sec on a line 10%10 inFig, 3. i i

g- 11 an enl rged er al sectio ,v on

line 11 11 in Fig, 3. i

As thus illustrated the invention como prises a base 1 havinga suitable upright P e ta 90 1 he 1 1 91: end w e e l i. v

sho n. i ct e line n a F gu e n i. h

stationa ry head of the, stapling inachiue isi ij ountec lif vertlcal rod A is to s i nell i g appl d oto'coi t o 'said pawl,

wherehy the'wire is given a forward feeding iuqv m n ach im the hee move p Ward. h stap in m an s ho ve can be of any suitableor approved characteif, and Will not require further description.

For: the operation of said stapling mechanism. Shaft12is mounted in a bearing 13 on the base-1,"and in a bearing 14. suitably formed in the pedestal 2, having a pulley 5 ta t neration'thereof. A'cr'ank P 16 is provided onthe' end of theishaft 12,

Within the provided] by the pedestal 2, and is connectedby a' link'17 With the lowerend of the. rod fl; whereby the latter is i eciprocated up and'down to' operate the stapling' mechanism-f T e 'g ieanos'. l o l blcl ngi the S r-k, i Order to 1m; hoophke thejone shown in Figure 2, comprising a rotary plate 18upon the 'la ipchry h c th hobpf trip i en to fo'ifln bllhOQP: This plate' 18 is mounted oos y n he sl eve 9,.vw ch1 at-t s mounted loosely onthe stationary axle or arbor 2.0 securedby. bolts to the pedestal of thebody of the, frame. The sleeve 19 has a pinion 22 [at its; inner end, and this pinion isengaged by a gear Wheel 23 onthe eiid. ofthe i h lftii l, vhichlatter is mounted i -bearings 25"aind 26 on the body of the macliin e 1 Tllvcuter end'of the sleeve 19 is providedivithla crank -arm 27-:to Which is iiyotelda1ir k'28;,aH id Plate 18 h a lamp 1' W29 pi i t id' her on t. D, th outer end portion of this jaivfbeing pivoted on the link 28, whereby actuation of the arm "27 the sleeve 19 willcause I movementof saidiiaw toward andlayvay. from the statiom a y' a t-ten ed enl' hele eei h -plat 'A {I e" 32' is p oiv ed nl h d f'the g id is pref rably pivoted; 3e and pr0- vided with a spring 35 to keep it normally raised, but permit tilting movement of the guide when the hoop strip is inserted therein and fed into position to be clamped at its end between the jaws 29 and 81 previously mentioned. Movement of the arm 27 in one direction, relatively to the plate 18, will open the clamping jaws, while movement in the other direction will cause the jaws to grlp the end of the hoop strip. The arm 27 has a shorter'arm 86 which is movable between the two stops 37- and 38, these stops having set screws 39 and 40 to adjustably or variably limit the movement of the arm 36, thereby to provide means for regulating the clamping action of the clamping jaws.

A stationary plate 41 is supported on the sleeve 19 and is provided with eccent-rically mounted rolls 42 which bear against the hoop strip while the latter is being bent around the form, the eccentric mountings for these rolls being provided with arms 43 connected by springs 44 to said plate upon which the rolls are mounted. The springs 44 tend to I pull the arms 43 in a direction to partially move the rolls about the axes of their eccentric mountings, so that the rolls will bear harder against the hoop strip, and if the hoop strip is of some thickness, the rolls Wlll be pressed outward against the tension of the springs 44, in a manner that will be readily understood, whereby the rolls 42 bear yieldingly against the hoop strip while it is belng bent around the form. As shown, the axis of each roll is between the spring and the axis of the eccentric mounting.

For ejecting the hoop from the form a shifting plate 45 is provided,as shown, on the sleeve 46 of the plate 41, and this plate 45 is provided with pins 47 arranged on the line of a circle, and in line with the hoop on the form, whereby shifting of this plate 45 in an outward direction will cause the pins 47 to bear against the inner edge of the hoop and thereby dislodge the finished hoop from the form. This plate 45 is provided with ears 48, and a yoke 49 is provided on the machine body at 50, this yoke being in the form of a bell crank, and having its other end connected by a link 51 with the eccentric cam device 52, of any suitable character, on the shaft 12 previously mentioned. The cam device 52 is of such character that the plate 45 will be shifted outward, just after the end portions of the hoop strip are stapled together, thereby to displace the finished hoop from the form.

The plate 18 is preferably controlled by a friction brake device 53, which bears against its inner side, and which has rods 54 extending therefrom through the plate 45 and through the stationary plate 55 on the body of the machine, there being coil springs 56 interposed between the plate 45 and the plate 55, to bear against the shoulders on the rod seen that the sprocket on the shaft 12 is de sirably smaller than the sprocket on the shaft 24 so that the upper shaft rotates more slowly than the lower shaft. 1 The pulley 15 is controllably connected with the sprocket 58 on the shaft 12, and'thereby controllably connected with the sprocket chain 57, through the medium of clutch mechanism 59 operated by a foot pedal 60 pivoted at 61 on the base of the machine, it being observed that this pedal has the end thereof connected by a link 62 with the clutch control 63, which latter also controls the friction band brake 64 which is provided to stop the motion promptly when the'power transmission thus provided is opened; it being understood that the sprocket 58 is loose on the shaft 12 so that operation of this sprocket by closing the clutch does not rotate said shaft, but merely operates the sprocket chain 57 to turn the hoop form of the machine. The link 62 is connected by a link 65 with the cam device 66 on the shaft 24, whereby the clutch device 59 is both manually and automatically controlled. When the foot pedal 60 is depressed, the clutch 59 is closed and the sprocket chain 57 is operated to operate the shaft 24, thereby to rotate the plate 18 with the hoop strip thereon. Another clutch 67 is provided, of any suitable character, and a rod 68 connects this clutch to the cam device 69 on the end of the shaft 24, in the manner shown. Therefore, at the proper time, the rotation of the shaft 24 controls the clutch 67 through the medium '49, in the manner described, which occurs ust after the driving of the two staples.

Thus the depression of the pedal 60 starts the machine, and the three operations of' bending and stapling and ejecting the hoop follow 1n proper sequence, automatically, and then the foot pedal is released and the machine is stopped. It will be understood,

of course, that the clutch mechanism 67 is also provided'with a friction hand brake 71,

similar to the one shown in Figure 10, thereby to stop the motion promptly when the clutch is opened.

Thus a machine is provided for receiving the end of the hoop strip, and for then bending the strip into the shape of a hoop, the stapling of the overlapping end portions of the hoop then following automatically, and the finished hoop being ejected automatically from the machine. It will be seen that the hoop form with the hoop strip thereon rotates to the extent of a full or complete rotation, and that during this time the stapling mechanism is idle, but as soon as the end portions of the hoop strip are lapped, in the manner shown, the clutch 67 is then automatically closed to cause the operation of the stapler, thereby to drive the two staples, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawner.

so relatively arranged, and so proportioned,

ings. Of course, while the stapling mechanism is operating to drive the two staples,

the hoop form and the hoop thereon must be stationary, in order to receive the two staples, it being observed that the stapling head is made double, having two staple formers and two staple drivers, as indicated in Figure 1, whereby the two staples are driven simultaneously when the shaft 12 is rotated for that purpose. The stopping of the hoop form and the hoop thereon is produced by the cam device 66, at the proper time, so that the rotation of the hoop form is arrested just long enough to enable the double stapler head to insert the two staples in the desired man- It will be understood that the parts are that theoperations occur in their proper sequence in the manner described. When the two staples are driven, the operator releases the foot pedal 60, it being understood that about the same time the finished hoop is ejected from the machine. Thus, and by reason of the friction brakes 53, 6-it and 71, previously described, the machine is'stopped in the exact position of the parts thereof necessary to receive the next hoop strip. This means, for example, that the rotary hoop form will stop approximately in the position shown in Figure 1, so that the jaws 29 and 31 will always be stopped in position to receive theend of the next hoop strip. Each time the machine is started by the depression of the foot pedal 60, the jaws 29 and 31 will close to grip the end of the hoop strip, and thus the entire machine is controlled by the single foot pedal. The jaw 31 is preferably detachably secured in place by the screw 72, as shown more clearly in Figure 4, so that this jaw can be removed from the plate 18 when such is necessary or desirable. The hoop, while it is being bent is pressed against the periphery of the frame by the rolls 42, so that the hoop is bent tightly upon the rotary form and because of the manner in which said rollsare mounted, as previously explained, the hoops may vary somewhat in thickness without affecting the operation of the machine.

If desired, a section of pipe 73 can be screwed into the socket 74, which latter is attached to the plate 75 which is fastened to the outer end of the arbor 20 by the screw 76, thereby to hold the keyed arm 27 against outward displacement from the sleeve 19, said section of pipe 73 being ofa length to catch the hoops as they fall from the machine. In this way, the hoops are collected in a bunch, and then removed from the section of pipe upon which they are thus collected.

Thus it will be seen that a single controller 'is common to the hoop bending instrumentalities and the staple inserting means, or fastener inserting means, and is operated by a single actuation thereof to cause the strip to be pulled through the tilting guide 32 and thereafter convert it into a free annular hoop which is discharged from the machine automatically. In other words, the operator merely steps on the treadle or controller 60, after inserting a hoop strip through the guide and under the gripping device 29, and the result of this depression is afinished hoop which is automatically expelled from the machine. The

automatic gripping of the hoop strip, of

course, is brought about by the initial rot-ation of the shaft 20, which takes up the lost motion between the lugs 37 and 38, as previously explained, so that the mechanism by which the gripping device is automatically controlled is actuated by the initial rotation of the shaft to take up the lost motion, whereby the gripping of the end of the hoop strip occurs practically before the torque of the shaft is sufficient'to positively rotate the rotary hoop forming means. A single operation of the fastener driving means, automatically brought about in the manner explained, as'the result of the single actuation of the foot treadle, is suflicient to drive a plurality of staples to fasten the ends of the hoop strip together.

Of course, the sequence of operations nec essary to form and staple the hoop, and to eject it from the machine, is not only con trolled by the one foot treadle 60, or other suitable controller, but it is also true that the single actuation of this controller is followed by the stopping of the machine in exact condition to receive another hoop strip. Therefore, the means for automatically stopping the machine are also controlled by this foot pedal, or other controller, so that it is not only true that a single actuation of this treadle is sufficient to cause the making and the ejecting of the hoop, but is also sufficient-to restore themachine to full condition to receive another hoop strip.

What I claim as my invention is:

Ion

1. In a #power operated machineifor :making hoops, the combination of instrumentalities for receiving and bending av hoop strip into shape, with the .end portions thereof in ilapped'relation, by one continuous and complete rotation of said instrumentalities for each hoop, means to cause said rotation, automatic mechanism for automatically inserting fastening means, timed to operate only .upon the completion of each said com pleterotation, thereby to. secure the lapped portions of the hoop strip together by a single operation-of-said mechanism,-a single controller common/to said instrumentalities and mechanism, and means cooperating with said controller to cause by one actuation thereof the automatic operation-of said instrumentalities and mechanism in sequence and the final autoinatic stopping of themachine in exact condition to receive another hoop strip. I V

A structure asspecified inclalm 1, said instriunentalities comprisinga rotary form and means for bending the. hoop strip thereon.

3.. A structure as specifiedin. claim 1, said instrumentalities comprising. a .rotary ,form

having automatically opening and closing jaws to seize theend -of:the hoop strip, one of; said jaws being pivoted and automatically controlled by the rotation of;.the form.

L. A structure as specifiedin claim -1, said instrumentalities. comprising-a. rotary .form, and means for. bending the hoop strip-thereon, in combination with an automatic ejector operated bythe power that drives the ,machine for displacing 'the'fi-nished hoopfrom theformafter the operation ofssaid fastener inserting mechanism.

5. A structureas: spe'cifiedin claim 1,;sa-id fastener inserting mechanism comprising staplers for inserting a plurality .of staples in the lapped, port-ions. of the hoop, incombination with; means ,f-or, automaticallycausing the operation of said .niechanism upon theucompletion of-the rotation of the hoop form, whereby saidmeehanism isprevented from operating during the rotation 'of-.said hoop form with thehoopstrip thereon.

6. A structure as. specified in claim 1, said instrumentalities comprising a rotary form, eccentri'cally mounted, rolls for pressing; the

.hoop strip. upon the periphery of, said "form,

springs controllingthe eccentrically mounted rolls, so. that .each roll: has movement about the axis of its eccentric to. ;bearpmore or less upon: the hoop, andt-means'forygripping the end of-the hoop;strip .tobench the latteraround the form, :automatically controlled by the rotation aof the. form.

7. A structure .as spec-ified inclaim 1,-in combination with'a tiltingzguidein;position to direct the endof .the hoop:str.ip into position .betweensaid .mechanism and, saidtbend- 111g lnstrumen-talities, .SEllCl cont-rollervbeing op erative by one actuation thereof to cause the pulling of the strip through said guide and the conversion thereof into a hoop.

,8. A structure as specified in claim 1, said mechanism comprising staplers for inserting a plurality of staples at .the same time, 'in rcom'bin'ation with means for preventing movement of the hoop bending instrumentalities during the insertion of said staples,

whereby .the completely bent hoop is stationary while the staples are being inserted throughthe lapped end portions thereof.

9. A-structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with automatic devices to auto matically startthe operation of said mechanism at the proper time, whereby said mech- ,anisni1s prevented iromoperating until after the hoop stripis fully bent into position with itsrends in lapped relation.

10. A structureas specified in claim 1, in

combination with automatic means operated by the power that drives the machine to eject the finished hoop from said instru- 1nental-ities,-upon the completion of the op eration of said fastener inserting mechanism.

11. A.,structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with friction brake means for said instrumentalities, to control the operation set in motion by said controller.

I 12. :In a. hoop making machine, the combination of a shaft and rotary instrumental- ;ities thereon to bend the hoop strip into hoop form,"haring-a. deviceto seize the end of the hoop strip, there being some lost motion between said-shaft and instrumentalities,and means-whereby said device is automatically -.contr.olle'd by the rotation of said shaft,

whereby the initial-rotation ofsaidshaftto take up the lost motion, after the-hoop strip is .fed into position, serves automatically to operate said device-to seize the end of the hoop. strip, whereby the. said strip is then bent into hoop form.

13. A structure as specified in claim 12, in combination with automatic meansfor ejecting the finished hoop from the machine.

,14L.,A structure asspecifiejdEin claim 12, in combination with means to ,autoi'natically arm, providing a lost motion connection 'bea ltlu lll)

tween the shaft and the form, a jaw rigid with the form, a jaw pivoted on the form, and a connection between said arm and said pivoted jaw, said lost motion connection thereby operative to automatically. actuate said pivoted jaw toward and away from said other jaw, thereby to grip and release the end portion of the hoop strip.

17. In a hoop machine, the combination of a controller for the machine, means con trolled thereby to form thehoop, means controlled thereby to drive one or more staples in the hoop, means controlled thereby to eject the finished hoop, and means controlled thereby to finally restore the machine to exact condition to receive another hoop strip,

machine, and the automatic return of the 20 machine to full condition to receive a fresh hoop strip. I

EDWVARD CRAIG. 

